Captain Dhoni Is Back – Can CSK Make A Comeback?

The damage that was done for Chennai Super Kings in the first half of the tournament is almost non-reversible now. The Chennai-based franchise ended up closing four out of the five games that they’ve played till now. 

While the team was facing such a treacherous situation, they were dealt with another complex situation as their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament. He suffered a fracture to his elbow and will not be available for the rest of the season. In his absence, it has been communicated that Dhoni will be leading the side from now.

There is no debating the fact that Dhoni is one of the greatest ever players and captains to feature in the IPL. But this does not necessarily mean that Chennai Super Kings can completely turnaround this season. 

Statically speaking, Chennai must win seven out of the remaining nine games that they’re scheduled to play. They will have to maintain nearly 85% wind record for the rest of the tournament under Dhoni’s captaincy. 

In terms of batting shortcomings, it must be noted that the departure of Ruturaj Gaikwad comes as a big blow. He has been one of the most consistent batsman for Chennai in IPL over the last few years. 

His strike record in the recent seasons is as below:

– 635 runs in IPL 2021.
– 590 runs in IPL 2023.
– 583 runs in IPL 2024

On the other hand, we cannot expect a 43 year old Dhoni to create miracles with the bat while the rest of the team is struggling to put big score in the first innings or substantial scores in the second innings. 

The last time, Dhoni captain for Chennai was back in 2023, and he ended up winning the title with the team. This was the last time that Chennai Super Kings looked like a champion franchise, and what followed has been a tale of misery with a poor performance last year and a similar story this year. 

Will be certainly can’t expect miracles from a 43 year old Dhoni, what is guaranteed is that fans could cherish this experience for one last time. Dhoni, stepping out for the toss and attending the post match, press conferences in what could possibly be one of his final seasons, if not the final season, is a dream come true moment for many. 

With the season, pretty much high and dry for Chennai, the only solace fans can take back this year is possibly witnessing Dhoni’s captaincy. What is Dhoni can somehow park the miracle and turn things around completely for Chennai then this would go down as one of the most remarkable turnarounds for any team in IPL history.